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Bee Aspinal: Product

At Aspinal we have a long and proud heritage of using ethically sourced premium raw materials to ensure that we maintain our superior standards of quality on each product. Our products have always been crafted for longevity, to be cherished and passed down through generations. Fine craftsmanship is at the heart of achieving this supreme quality and is one of our defining brand values.

Sustainably Sourced Leathers

Our artisans take our ethically sourced raw materials to ensure that we maintain superior standards of quality across our collections, with the lowest possible impact on the planet. All leathers used by Aspinal are sustainably sourced and are a by-product of the food industry.

We are a member of the Leather Working Group (LWG), a not-for-profit membership organisation responsible for the world's largest leather sustainability programme. LWG operates with a Gold, Silver and Bronze award programme for assessing the environmental performance of the tanneries it works with. The average LWG-accredited tannery saves 12.1 billion litres of water and 775 megawatts of energy per year through their sustainable practices.

We are proud to say 94% of Aspinal's leathers are sourced from LWG environmentally accredited tanneries, with the aim of supporting our remaining partners on their certification journey to become 100% by the end of 2023.

Metal-Free Leather

Aspinal's first metal-free leather product launched in February 2021. Following extensive research and development, the integration of metal-free leathers will be our priority within future collections. Metal-free leather is tanned without the use of harmful metal chemicals such as Chrome VI. It is safer for the local environment and water supply.

Considered Design Process

Waste reduction is a priority within our business and acts as the starting point within our design and production journey. We challenge our design and product development teams as part of their goals and objectives to ensure that sustainability is at the forefront of their mind in creating any new product. All our collections are now planned using our Considered Design Process to ensure we use our premium materials efficiently and maximise the output from every hide, every bolt of material and every spool of thread.

Starting in 2020, we began the process of revisiting the production journey of all our established products, seeing if our beloved pieces can be crafted using more sustainable materials or processes. We call this our Creative Review Process. Already, we have relaunched our classic London Tote using upcycled cotton canvas and metal-free leather embellishments.

Aspinal recognises that reusing existing materials from our archive is equally as important as ethical sourcing of new materials. We have made a conscious decision to upcycle any existing materials and leathers as the first port of call when creating new collections.

Aspinal is renowned as the No.1 brand for quality. We pride ourselves on designing timeless products built to last for generations, and encouraging our customers to keep their Aspinal products for a lifetime. This is made possible through our repairs service and our Ultimate Guide to Leather Care article.

Upcycling & Non-leather Alternatives

Aspinal recognises that reusing existing materials is equally important as the ethical sourcing of new materials. We challenge our design and product development teams to ensure that sustainability is front of mind when creating any new product, aiming to use upcycled materials for all future collections where ever possible, with an aim of emptying our archive of material and hardware by end 2023.

In 2020, we first introduced recycled thread into our collections, we continue to use recycled thread throughout our products where possible. Our first capsule vegan collection was launched in early 2021 using an innovative material made from apple skins. Our materials partner recovers waste from the apple juice industry and transforms it into this revolutionary new raw material. This product, called AppleSkin, reduces waste, has low emissions and low energy consumption through the entire production process.

The Transparent Lion Trunk and Crystal Trunk handbags have become some of our most recognisable and well-loved designs. Following our dedication to selecting responsibly sourced materials with exceptional longevity, our Perspex trunk handbags are created using an innovative and sustainable form of acrylic called PMMA. This purer material offers superior durability, so our customers can be confident that their trunk is carefully crafted to last. PMMA is shaped without heat, saving energy and preserving the raw materials to high levels of purity allowing them to be recycled and reused.

Aspinal strives to be transparent throughout our supply chain so that our customers enjoy our products with confidence in and awareness of their origins.

Discover more about our sustainable activities by visiting our Bee Aspinal: Planet page.